Is Octopus Ink Similar to Fountain Pen Ink?Topic: Pens, PencilsIs Octopus Ink Similar to Fountain Pen Ink? -- "The ink of the octopus, or any cephalopod, is composed of highly concentrated melanin. This is the same dark pigment that we humans have, and which is responsible for skin color and the color of dark hair. It is a natural dye that cephalopods manufacture in an ink sac. Most, but not all octopuses have an ink sac and produce ink, but a few, such as the deep-sea octopuses, have lost this ability." Read more at His Nibs (Image from Cephalopods - a World Guide)

Grid-it! NotepadsTopic: DesignGrid It Notepads -- "Grids form as essential part of our lives. We may not always notice them, but their influence on what we see, hear and do is everywhere. Grid-it! notepads and shelves are a selection of grids that played a historic role in the development of design systems." (via groupies)

How did you get your f***ing awesome job? - Daniel ClowesTopic: ComicsReadyMade interviews Dan Clowes -- Nice interview in ReadyMade with cartoonist (Eightball) and screenwriter (Ghostworld, and Art School Confidential, which will be in theaters this month) Daniel Clowes. (via Boing Boing)

Valentine Blatz opened his brewery in 1851. By 1900, Blatz was Milwaukee's third-largest brewery.The Blatz Brewery was forced to close in 1959, and the Blatz label was sold to Pabst Brewing Company. Heileman purchased the Blatz label in 1969 after Pabst's anti-trust problems. In 1996, Stroh's bought Heileman, continuing most of their production. Read more at beercollections.com.

And Now For Something Completely ViolentTopic: DesignMatchbox packaging art -- a photoset on flickr. These are scans of 1/76 scale Matchbox plastic model kits. A good portion of the painted artworks on the front of the boxes are signed by a Mr. Roy Huxley. (by aperturequiet, via boingboing.net)

Pen production halts by May 2006Topic: Pens, PencilsPen production halts by May "FORT MADISON -- After pausing to honor the grandson of the historic pen factory's founder, workers at the Sheaffer plant here were told to expect a complete plant closure by May. Linda Kwong of Bic Corp., Sheaffer's Paris-based parent company, said production at the plant will be transferred to third-party manufacturing plants in Europe and Asia, a transition that will begin in the fourth quarter." Read the article in The Hawk Eye Newspaper (via His Nibs)

Stolen Rembrandt work recoveredTopic: ArtA self-portrait by Rembrandt has been recovered by Danish police, nearly five years after it was stolen in a daring raid on Sweden's National Museum. The self-portrait shows the artist aged 26 in 1632. (BBC News)